BERKELEY, Calif. — Whether he recognizes it or not, at age 17 Berkeley Hills resident Luke Wasson has already developed habits of character and self-discipline that will serve him well the rest of his life, in whatever endeavor he pursues.

Luke enjoys fishing, spearfishing, surfing, kitesurfing, baking and “hanging out with my family and our three dogs.” Soccer, tennis and ping pong with siblings are on the list too. But his biggest current athletic passions are golf and pickleball.

In November 2021, Wasson set a new course record at Berkeley’s Tilden Park Golf Course. He shot a 62.

As for pickleball, Luke is a 5.0 player, sponsored by Selkirk. In order to support his golf costs, he teaches pickleball locally to students who range in age from 6 to 72. He also travels to compete in tournaments and he donates time teaching pickleball to youth in small towns in Mexico.

Intrigued by this young athlete, we dug a little deeper with some questions.

Who inspires you?

“I don’t have one particular person that currently inspires me,” Luke responds. “I love watching pro sports and learn from what I watch. I have good role models around me, I try to train hard, be a good, responsible and respectful person and share my interests and talents with others.”

Why golf and pickleball?

“My grandparents played golf and introduced me to the sport,” says Luke, adding that he played his first round with his grandparents at age 6. Although he enjoyed it, he was on a demanding competitive soccer team that left him little extra time.

Even so, his grandfather persevered.

“My grandfather would drive from Palo Alto to Berkeley once a week to take me to Tilden when I was about 8 years old,” Luke explains. “That’s when I began to understand the sport and get better. It wasn’t until about four years ago that I started playing more regularly. In 2020, I played Tilden Park Golf Course almost every day. Thanks to Youth on Course, golf was accessible and affordable for me.”

Achieving the record-breaking 62 last year motivated Luke to “set more goals, practice my game and begin playing golf tournaments.”

“I am grateful to be a part of the Berkeley Country Club, where I am a new junior member,” Luke adds. “This membership allows me to be part of a supportive community where I can pursue my golf passion.”

He was introduced to pickleball about five years ago, while on vacation with his family in Mexico. They all enjoyed it and still play, but for Luke, “I was immediately hooked.”

Not familiar with the game, I asked Luke to describe it. And so he did, as follows, to my great amusement: “You can think of it like this: Tennis and Ping Pong had a baby (in 1965, on Bainbridge Island) and called it pickleball.”

“The great thing about pickleball,” adds Luke, “is that the sport is so accessible to all ages and abilities. A lot of people with racquet/paddle sport backgrounds are converting to pickleball. It’s not necessary to have a background in these sports to feel successful and have fun. It’s a game that’s easy on your body, no running.”

Do you have a favorite quote?

“You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take”― Wayne Gretzky

What motivates you in these sports, and in life, to give it your all?

“I not only enjoy playing these sports but I enjoy meeting new people,” Luke responds. “When I sign up for my tee time I usually never know who I will play with. I meet a lot of people on the golf course and after playing 18 holes together, I get to learn about them, their life, their career or whatever the topic of the day might be.”

“The same goes for pickleball,” he adds. “I meet so many new people of all ages and backgrounds. Since I do not attend conventional schooling, I am allowed the time to follow my passions and have these experiences. I have the freedom to design my own education and schedule with the support of my family.

“At this point in my life I give my all to golf because I would like to play professionally. I know I need to work hard to achieve this goal. I do have a lot of other interests as well, which keeps me from getting “burnt out” on one sport.”

Go Luke!  We’ll be rooting for you as you work your way to the pro-circuit… or wherever your journey takes you. It’s the character you build and the people you help along the way that inspires us.

This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.